Flash floods and landslides set off by heavy monsoon rains on Friday night left at least five dead in Darchula district in far-western Nepal, police said. Ten people have gone missing in separate incidents caused by water-induced disasters in the district. At least eight have been critically injured.

Mahakali Municipality and Naugad Rural Municipality have been hit the hardest by the disasters. According to the Darchula District Police Office, three of the deceased are from Naugad Rural Municipality and two from Mahakali Municipality.

Police identified the deceased as Nandaram Bohara, 77, of Mahakali-2; Manmati Karki, 45, of Mahakali-1; Janaki Thagunna, 35, and Dhanamati Thagunna, 14, of Naugad-1; and Mohanram Parki of Naugad-2.

A massive landslide erupted just above the settlement and damaged some houses in Naugad-1, locals said. Two others went missing in the incident. Similarly, another landslide at Naugad-2 buried a house that killed one while another local went missing.

Police said Dhan Singh Karki, a resident of Dungari in Mahakali-3, and his two sons went missing in the floods. Manmati Sahu of Mahakali-2, and Mohan Luhar and Saraswati Luhar of Mahakali-4 went missing in the floods.

A Nepal Army helicopter rescued five injured victims from Naugad. The injured are receiving treatment at the district hospital in Khalanga, the district headquarters.

The flooded Lasku stream destroyed a suspension bridge and a motorable road linking Duhun and Mahakali. The floods also swept away five Bolero jeeps, a tractor and a car parked in the area, police said.

The district administration deployed security personnel from Nepal Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force to rescue the affected people and search for the missing victims.

Meanwhile, federal Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Dilendra Prasad Badu, and provincial ministers Rana Bahadur Rawal and Man Bahadur Dhami reached the affected area with relief materials including foods, blankets and tarpaulins.